I wonder if I could put a hole in my mattress with a funnel in and a bucket underneath.
Then I could roll over and pee in it without getting up and walking around with the lamp on.
In one of Spike Milligan's war memoirs he describes the terrible sleeping arrangements they had which involved being wrapped in newspaper. One of the problems was getting up to pee... so they had a hose attachment.
I've posted this before but it helped me accept that it's OK not to have the mythical 8 hours continuous sleep, and being awake for a while in the night isn't the end of the world.
I read about this in a really good book that i'm going mad now trying to remember the name!!! The same book included explanation of how the introduction of mirrors changed the way community works - people started to see themselves as individuals. Next thing - social media and the end of civilisation (it didnt say that).
The other interesting sleep-related study I remember reading about concerned sleep-tracking an entire 'traditional' African village. They found that at no time in a given night was every person asleep. Different aged people were awake at different points in the night. The supposition was that they were subconsciously keeping watch.
My job has me changing my sleep pattern between Home (UK) 4 weeks, then ship watchkeeping on US time 2 weeks days, then 2 weeks nights (12hrs on/off watchkeeping). Naturally this makes sleep regulation an art as much as a science.
Caffeine - for me it's more about overall quantity during the day, rather than having coffee too close to bed time.
Food - as I have a meal to eat as I get off watch, I stick to the things that digest easily, basically vegetarian fare, and not much of it.
Exercise - At home, Only in the morning or afternoon, never evenings. Ship - Only before watches, never after.
Stress - Hard to avoid, sometimes there's stuff stuck in your head that refuses to leave. I've found that certain audiobooks help, more to do with how it's being read, rather than content. I focus on the sound and that stops me dwelling on my thoughts.
Lighting - Very low lights at home, ships cabin has red filter on the bunk light. This is one of the key things for me.
Bed time Routine - Just like a little kid, I need to follow a pattern, and not get distracted with screens and devices. This is especially true on the ship.Â
Of those things, it really is the lighting and distraction which play the biggest part with helping me get to sleep.
I do find that I can get by on very little sleep. At work I typically get to bed at either 0100, or 1300. I can be awake four hours later fully refreshed, but never ready to get up. Stick on an audiobook, focus on the sounds, and I'll knock out another couple of hours restless kip before getting up for some time to myself.Â
